Prologue

They flew around him, pecking and tearing at his clothes and skin. Their clear, icy wings flapped in a sporadic pattern as they struggled to keep the large, cumbersome bodies afloat.

His feet were a blur underneath him as he ran onward.

The winged creatures weren't going to get it. It was his ring. His village's ring. His family's ring. No demon would get their hands on it.

Risking a glance up, one of the creatures dug into his cheek, sending blood splattering out onto the frozen ground and pain searing up to his brain. He stumbled, and one of the winged demons planted itself on his back. Falling forward he managed to catch himself with his hands, but the weight on his back was nearly unbearable.

He struck out with an arm, knocking into one of the wings. Gripping it firmly he used his meager amounts of strength to pull it off of him. Staggering to his feet, he continued his trek.

"Give it to us!" A deep rumble sounded, somehow forming those very words.

"No!" He cried out, turning to face the speaker. If he was to make it out of here alive, he had to fight.

The giant creature stood tall and forbidding. Its skin was made completely out of ice, and it glistened in the sun's weak light. It held out a cracked hand, "Give it to us boy! The ring is rightfully ours!"

He shook his head, broadening his stance, his breathing coming in gasps. Blood trickled down his arms and stained his torn clothing. "I... will never let you have it." He clenched a fist, the one that the Ring of Ice was upon, resting on a single finger.

The ice monster roared and launched itself at him. The ground shook and trembled under the beasts every step. He did his best not to back up, but to stand his ground.

Taking a breath to settle his pounding heart he gripped the ring with his other hand, both arms outstretched. "By the power of the Iegan Empire, I hereby command you demons to freeze!" He screamed the words out as loud as he could. The ring glowed an icy blue and all time slowed to a stop.

The creature was right there, its hands inches from his face. Long, deadly claws stretched out from it's fingertips, ready to rip his human body to shreds. He backed up and to the side. The spell only lasted a total of five seconds, and he could only use it once every five minutes.

He gulped, running in the opposite direction. Not exactly staying and fighting, but it works.

Time restarted.

He coaxed more speed into his legs as a large crash sounded, along with several squeals emitted from the flying ice creatures. There was another roar, and the ground soon began vibrating. Frozen dirt caved under him and sent him tumbling into near darkness.

A thud. The sound of his body breaking as it hit the rock hard floor. A cold wind blew and chilled the blood in his veins. Everything went blurry for several moments, and when it cleared up he saw the giant ice monster following him through the newly acquired hole above ground.

It slammed down with so much force, he was pretty sure the floor was going to cave in once more. The giant's feet barely missed his shoulders.

He tried to scramble up, but its claws of ice etched rivers into his chest. Crying out his body went rigid, every muscle tense from the pain that shattered his vision.

"Give it to me boy!" The demon's loud voice sent his head pounding.

"N-n... never," he replied stubbornly, his words squashed. He tried to roll over. To get his body to do something, but it was futile. The demon's freezing claws pinned him down.

It pushed them in further, and he screamed once more. He couldn't take it, it was too much pain to handle.

"You dare disobey me! You dare use the ring's power to get away!" With each sentence it dug the claws in further and further. His blood steamed, it's metallic smell filling his nose before it froze. He was going to die here if he didn't do something. Anything.

He forced his exhausted body to move. His trembling arms struggled to grab the claws that dug into his chest.

He wasn't going to die. He wasn't going to die. He wasn't. Going. To. Die!

The claws shattered into shards of ice. Water dripped out of its finger tips and onto the ground as it gave a muffled cry. He rolled over and pushed himself to his feet, his body fueled by adrenaline. Feet sliding on the ice he slid from dirt pile to dirt pile, using its form to push him across the ice.

He had to get away from the monster.

No matter how painful it was!

Gripping his torn chest with an arm he glance back; the giant was on his heels, practically breathing down his neck. Giving a roar of effort he launched himself up and gripped onto the crumbly wall. His fingers slipped and hurt because of the ice, but he dragged himself up, arms and legs screaming with each and every movement.

But he wasn't giving up.

His hands reached the top of the hole and he pulled his body up and over. He nearly collapsed as his muscles released the strain, but the creature's heavy body shook the ground as it tried to climb up after him.

Scrambling to his feet he streaked across the frozen ground, trying his hardest not to slip or stop, knowing that doing so would be the end of him.

His legs carried him to the end of the ice land, and he nearly slipped off of the edge. Water poured down from a large gap in the surface and cascaded to the bottom. Where ever that was.

Breathing labored, he turned around to run. But it was too late. The ice demons had surrounded him, preventing any kind of escape.

He backed up, gazing down at the never ending drop behind him.

Is it really worth it?

He clenched his fists, his fingernails biting into his palms.

Yes. The Ring of Ice is worth my life.

He took one more glance at the demons before him before turning around and jumping. Wind whipped through hair and torn clothes as he plummeted.

There were a few shocked cried above, before a swarm of the flying creatures launched themselves down after him. They gripped his arms and took the Ring of Ice from his finger.

"No!" He reached out with a hand, but it was knocked away by a wing.

"If you want to die, then go ahead. But this is ours." The speaking demon let go of him, along with the others and he fell, screaming.

"NOOOOO!"